The only official team event on the PGA Tour returns to the schedule this week with the playing of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The field will consist of 80 teams of two golfers with a best ball format used in rounds one and three and alternate shot format in rounds two and four. The top 35 teams and ties will advance to the weekend, making this tournament one of the most difficult cuts to make all season. While the event has been around since 1938, this will be just the fourth playing in a team format. The duo of Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer opened as the betting favorites as they look to defend their title from 2019. The tournament became a COVID casualty last year and was eliminated from the season slate. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Zurich Classic of New Orleans at BookMaker.eu
Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer +700
Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay +800
Cameron Smith/Marc Leishman +1000
Bubba Watson/Scottie Scheffler +1200
Tony Finau/Cameron Champ +1400
Collin Morikawa/Matthew Wolff +1400
Chris Kirk/Brendon Todd +1800
Danny Willett/Tyrrell Hatton +2000
Billy Horschel/Sam Burns +2500
Keegan Bradley/Brendan Steele +2800
Branden Grace/Harold Varner III +2800
Dylan Frittelli/Kevin Streelman +3000
Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson +3000
Max Homa/Talor Gooch +3500
Lucas Glover/Chez Reavie +4000
Viktor Hovland/Kristoffer Ventura +4000
Sungjae Im/Byeong Hun An +4000
Scott Brown/Kevin Kisner +5000
Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale +5000
Joel Dahmen/Lanto Griffin +5000
Doug Ghim/Justin Suh +5000
Charley Hoffman/Nick Watney +5000
Thomas Pieters/Tom Lewis +5000
Wyndham Clark/Erik Van Rooyen +5500
Jason Kokrak/Pat Perez +5500
Alex Noren/Henrik Norlander +5500
Michael Thompson/Will Gordon +5500
Graeme McDowell/Matt Wallace +6000
Russell Knox/Brian Stuard +6600
Martin Laird/Nick Taylor +7000
Maverick McNealy/Joseph Bramlett +7000
J.J. Spaun/Matt Jones +7500
Brandt Snedeker/Keith Mitchell +8000
Richy Werenski/Peter Uihlein +8000
Tom Hoge/Beau Hossler +9000
Odds Analysis
Cameron Smith/Marc Leishman +1000
Being good in different areas helps in the team format and this pair has that. Smith has been strong on and around the greens while Leishman is the superior approach player. They’ve had some good results individually lately as well only adding to their value. Smith is coming off a top-10 at the RBC Heritage, his third in nine starts this season. Leishman took a week off after his T5 at The Masters. Smith won this event with a different partner in 2017, so he’s got that going for him as well.
Collin Morikawa/Matthew Wolff +1400
I like this pairing since Morikawa and Wolff are two of the brightest young stars on Tour. The trick is can they play together and can Wolff overcome the obstacles that have been in his way recently. He was DQd from The Masters after signing an incorrect scorecard; it didn’t matter though since he was headed for a MC anyway. Since the start of the calendar year he’s had more WDs than top 20s, which isn’t good. They may be worth watching but I’m not going to throw down on this duo with Wolff’s inconsistencies getting in the way. And the price is steep anyway.
Joel Dahmen/Lanto Griffin +5000
Another pair with different strengths offers plenty of value. Dahmen recently won the Corales Puntacana title in an alternate field event and is strong off the tee. He averages close to 300 yards per drive and his accuracy rate is among the best on Tour. Griffin plays solid golf at the greens and has shown flashes of improved play, though he did miss the cut at the Masters. Augusta swallowed some of the best so I’ll give him a pass on that one.
Scott Brown/Kevin Kisner +5000
Chemistry is always a concern in team events and this pair has plenty of that. They’ve probably played more golf together than anyone. It hasn’t resulted in a win at this event, though they’ve come close. Brown and Kisner lost in a playoff in 2017, had the lead after three rounds in 2018 and placed in a tie for fifth in 2019. Maybe this is the year they finally breakthrough. The price is nice for that to happen.
Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay +800
Putting two of the best golfers in the world together doesn’t always work in the team format. But you have to like the chances of Schauffele and Cantlay. The X-man returned to his sturdy ways by canning a T3 at the Masters. Paired with another top-10 player in Cantlay, the duo should be in the mix. One drawback is the price with this team the second favorite and one of just two at shorter than 10/1 odds. If you can overlook that this duo is a solid pick.
Course: TPC Louisiana – 7,425 yards, Par 72
Located just 15 minutes outside of downtown New Orleans, TPC Louisiana has hosted this event since 2005. Tee to green the layout is relatively easy for the pros with over 60 percent of fairways and nearly 70 percent of greens hit in regulation. To make things more difficult, over 100 bunkers and several water hazards were installed when the course became the permanent home of the Zurich Classic in 2007. Given the conditions in the south and the vast amount of water, golfers who performed well during the Florida swing of the PGA Tour should feel comfortable here. Weather has been a factor in the past with plenty of delays and showers. We are hoping for better conditions, but this is an area where things change unexpectedly so golfers better be ready.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, CBS
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